Space heater construction



Nov. 15, 1960 H. D. DU FAULT 2,960,085

SPACE HEATER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V ENTOR. HOMER D. Du FAl/L 7 BY 64 a. 72:41

Nov. 15, 1960 H. D. DU FAULT SPACE HEATER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Feb. 18, 1959 INVENTOR HOMER De DuFA (/LT ATTORNEY5 3 United ttes2,960,085 SPACE HEATER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 18, 195?, Ser. No.794,072

8 Claims. (Cl. 126-67) The present invention relates to space heatersand more particularly to improved cabinet constructions therefor.

The objects of the present invention are to facilitate the manufactureand assembly of space heaters in an economical manner and to facilitatethe repair and maintenance of space heaters and further to facilitatereplacement of parts thereof.

The above and other related objects of the invention, as well as theunique features whereby these ends are attained, will be apparent from areading of the following description of the disclosure found in theaccompanying drawings and the novelty thereof pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a space heater embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of this heater, on an enlarged scale, withcertain elements in exploded relation;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary perspective views illustrating the mannerin which the space heater cabinet is assembled.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through the base of the space heaterwith the cover shell of the cabinet removed and with other parts omittedfor clarity; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken substantially on line VI-VI in Fig. 5.

From Fig. 1 it will be seen that the space heater construction of thepresent invention has nothing in its external appearance distinguishingit from prior space heaters. This means that the space heater may, forexample, be styled in any attractive fashion which has been estab lishedas having consumer appeal with the added advantages discussed below.

Thus while the space heater has the outward appearance of a unitaryconstruction, it may be quickly disassembled without disconnecting flueor fuel pipe connections into several components to facilitatereplacement of defective parts or to provide adequate access to anyinternal component for repair or maintenance. The space heater thuscomprises as basic units (Fig. 2) a base 10, a casing 12, a heater 14,and a rear panel or flue unit 16. Each of these basic units may bereadily disassembled and yet when in assembled relation, they form aunitary, rigid construction.

Describing now the constructional details of the illustrated embodiment,the base 10 (Figs. 2 and 5) is in the form of a shallow upwardly opensheet metal box having a bottom wall 18, end walls 20, a front wall 22and a rear wall 24. Each of these walls is provided with an inbentflange identified by primed reference characters corresponding to therespective walls. An angle piece 26 is welded to each of the flanges 20to provide longitudinal guide rails at each end of the base. A frontclamp strip 28 is welded to the front wall 22 and overlies the flange22' (Fig. 5) to provide an outwardly open transverse, horizontal slot30. The base 10 is supported on legs 32 comprising outwardly bentflanges 34 welded to the bottom wall 18 and inwardly bent flanges 36.

' atent O The casing 12 comprises a top panel 38 (Figs. 1 and 2), endpanels 40, 42, and a compositely formed front panel 44 which may includelouvers 46 or various forms of grill work for the circulation of heatedair. The named casing panels may be welded together or otherwise securedin assembled relation so that in ordinary circumstances the casing 12may be handled as a unitary element. At the lower end of the front panel44 is an inbent flange 48 which is received by the slot 30 as laterdescribed, while at the lower ends of the end panels 40, 42 are inturnedflanges 50 whose function is also later described. The end panels alsocurve for a short distance along the rear side of the top panel 38 andterminate in inturned flanges 5'4, 56.

The heater unit 14 comprises a burner 58 (Fig. 2) connected by a union60 to a fuel supply line 62 extending from a metering device, indicatedin phantom. The burner extends beneath a downwardly open combustionchamber 64 (Figs. 2 and 5) which in turn communicates with a heatexchanger 66 rigidly attached thereto. The gases of combustion aredischarged through a pair of outlet openings in the rear of the heatexchanger 66 defined by annular rims 68 (Fig. 6). The heater unit 14 issupported on the base 10 by four pipes 76 (Figs. 2 and 5) which arethreadably received by the combustion chamber 64 and heat exchanger 66.The pipes 70 each have an upper nut 72 threaded on their lower ends andengaging a reinforcing U-channel 74 which extends substantially acrossthe width of the base 10. The pipes 70 are held in place by lower nuts76 which rigidly secure the heater unit 14 to the base 10. The controlsfor the burner 58 are indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing but are notdescribed in detail since they are conventional in all respects, exceptthat it will be noted that they are each provided with readilydisconnectible couplings to facilitate removal of the heater unit aswill be explained later.

The back panel unit or flue chamber unit 16 comprises a back panel 78(Figs. 2, 5 and 6) and a flue chamber 80 secured thereto by screws 82.The flue chamber 80 has a pair of sleeves 84 which telescopingly receive(Fig. 6) the annular flanges 68 of the heat exchanger 66 and are held inplace thereon by set screws 86 threaded into the flanges 68. The gasesof combustion are then discharged from the flue chamber 80 through anannular flange 88 which may be connected to a fluepipe (not shown) inconventional fashion. Also mounted on the panel '78 are a pair of fans90 for blowing hot air, rising above the heater unit 14 outwardly of thespace heater through the louvered front wall 44 of the cabinet 12. Thefans 90 are driven by an electrical motor 92 (Fig. 2) which may bethermostatically controlled by a mechanism located Within a perforatedmetal box 94 secured to the rear panel 78. Other electrical controls mayalso be mounted within the box 94 and electrical power therefor may beprovided by means of an electrical wire 96.

It will also be noted that the back panel 78 is reinforced by inbentflange 97 (Figs. 2 and 5) at its upper and lower edges. Further verticalreinforcing angle members 99 are secured, as by welding, to theinnerface of the back panel 78 adjacent either side thereof and spacedinwardly from the outer vertical edges.

To assemble the cabinet 12 on the base 10, the side panels 49, 42 aredisposed so that their rearwardly extending portions lie to the rear ofthe guide rails 26 and then the flanges 50, being positioned by saidguide rails, are brought to rest on the flanges 20 as indicated in Fig.3. When thus positioned the entire cabinet may be shifted rearwardly(Fig. 4) to cause the flange 48 to enter the slot 30 thereby locking thefront of the cabinet relative to the baseltl. The angle members 99 arepreferably engaged by the flanges 54, 56 (Fig. 4);.so as to properlyspace the end panels 40, 42. The entire unit is then rendered solid andrigid by means of six sheet metal screws. Thus it will be seen thatscrews 98 pass through brackets 100, welded to the rear base wall 24,and are threaded into the end panels 40, 42. Screws 102 pass through therear panel 78 and are also threaded into end panels 40, 42.

In usual operation it is frequently necessary to inspect the burner 58,and for such purposes a door 104 is provided in the end panel 40.

However, for usual routine maintenance such as cleaning of the burner,fuller access is desirable and may readily be had by simply removing thescrews 98 and 102, and then disassembling the cabinet 12 by shifting itforwardly to bring the flange 48 out of engagement with the slot 30 andthen the cabinet may be bodily lifted from the base 10. This can be doneas has been mentioned previously without disconnecting either fuel pipeunion or stack or flue pipe. This arrangement also, it will be noted,makes it a simple matter to replace the cabinet 12 should it be damagedfor one reason or another.

With the cabinet 12 removed, the back panel unit may also be removedsimply by disconnecting any controls thereon which extend to the heaterunit and then by removing the two set screws 86. This easy removabilityof the back panel unit is a great aid in repairing or replacing any ofthe elements thereof and also facilitates inspection of the heatexchanger 66. If the heater unit 14 needs to be removed or the base unitneeds to be replaced, these elements may likewise be disassembled inquick and convenient fashion first by disconnecting the union 60 andthen by removing the lower nuts 76 threaded onto the supporting pipes 7iRe-assembly or original assembly of the various units may be readily andeconomically carried out in reverse fashion.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as novel anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A space heater comprising a base, a heater unit directly anddetachably mounted on said base, a unitary cabinet having top, front andend walls, said cabinet re movably resting on said base and overlyingsaid heater unit, a flue unit directly and detachably mounted on saidheater unit and means for detachably holding the cabinet in positionoverlying said heater, said holding means heingengageable with said flueunit and the rear portions of the cabinet end walls' 2. A space heatercomprising an open top sheet metal base having an outwardly open slotformed along the upper edge of its front wall, a heater unit directlyand detachably mounted on said base, a unitary cabinet having top,front, and end walls, the front wall of which has an inbent flange atits lower end for engagement with said slot, said cabinet resting onsaid base and overlying said heater unit with said inbent flangeengaging said slot, a flue unit directly and detachably mounted on saidheater unit and means for detachably holding the cabinet in positionoverlying said heater, said holding means being engageable with saidflue unit and the rear portions of the cabinet end walls.

3. A space heater comprising an open top sheet metal base having anoutwardly open slot along the upper edge of its front wall and inbentflanges extending from the upper edges of its end walls and guide railsprojecting upwardly from said last-named flanges, said base furtherhaving supporting feet, a heater unit directly and detachably mounted onsaid base, a unitary cabinet having top, front and end walls, the frontwall of which has an inbent flange at its lower end for engagement withsaid slot and the end walls of which have inbent flanges at their lowerends for engagement with said rails, 'said cabinet resting by way of itsflanges on said base flanges with the top panel overlying said heaterand the inbent flange of said front wall engaging said slot, a flue unit.upper edges of its end walls and guide directly and detachably mountedon said heater unit, and means for detachably holding the cabinet inposition overlying said heater, said holding means being engageable withsaid flue unit and the rear portions of the cabinet end walls.

4. A space heater comprising an open top sheet metal base having anoutwardly open slot along the upper edge of its front wall and inbentflanges extending from the upper edges of its end walls and guide railsprojecting upwardly from said last-named flanges, said base furtherhaving supporting feet, a heater unit directly and detachably mounted onsaid base, a unitary cabinet having top, front and end walls, the frontwall of which has an inbent flange at its lower end for engagement withsaid slot and the end walls of which have inbent flanges at their lowerends for engagement with said rails, said cabinet resting by Way of itsflanges on said base flanges with the top panel overlying said heaterand the inbent flange of said front wall engaging said slot, and meansfor detachably holding the cabinet in position overlying said heaterunit, said means being engageable with the rear portions of the cabinetend walls.

5. A space heater comprising a base, a heater unit detachably mounted onsaid base, a unitary cabinet having top, front and end walls, saidcabinet resting on said base and overlying said heater unit, said heaterunit comprising a combustion chamber and a heat exchanger spacedrearwardly thereof, said heat exchanger having a pair of dischargeopenings in side-by-side spaced relation each opening being defined byan outwardly projecting annular flange, a flue unit detachably mountedon said heater unit, said flue unit comprising a back panel, a fluechamber secured to the outer face of said rear panel with a pair ofsleeves projecting therethrough and respectively telescoped over saidannular flanges and set screws for securing said sleeves to said annularflanges whereby the heat exchanger is placed in communication with saidflue chamber and said flue unit is secured to said heater unit, andmeans for detachably securing the back panel of said flue unit to therear portions of the end walls of said cabinet.

6. A space heater comprising an open top sheet metal base having anoutwardly open slot along the upper edge of its front wall and inbentflanges extending from the rails projecting upwardly from saidlast-named flanges, said base further having supporting feet, a heaterunit detachably mounted on said base, said heater unit comprising acombustion chamber and a heat exchanger spaced rearwardly thereof, saidheat exchanger having a pair of discharge openings in side-by-sidespaced relation, each opening being defined by an outwardly projectingannular with .a pair of sleeves projecting therethrough and respectivelytelescoped over said annular flanges, set screws for securing saidsleeves to said annular flanges whereby the heat exchanger is placed incommunication with said flue chamber and said flue unit is secured tosaid heater unit, means for detachably securing the back panel of saidflue unit'to the rear portions of the end walls of said cabinet andmeans for detachably securing opposite lower portions of said back panelto said base.

7. A space heater as in claim 6 wherein the base has a flange inbentfrom the upper end of its front wall and a separate clamp strip iswelded to the base front wall and overlies said front wall flange toprovide said slot 6 and wherein said guide rails are formed by anglepieces cured to the innerface of said back panel and spaced insecured tothe undersides of the base end wall flanges wardly a short distance fromthe side edges thereof. and projecting thereabove.

8. A space heater as in claim 6 wherein the cabinet References Cited Inthe fi of this patent and walls curve a short distance inwardly of therear of 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS the top wall and terminate in inwardlydirected flanges 2,241,025 Wedderspoon May 6, 1941 and whereinvertically disposed angle members are se- 2,540,877 Harvey Feb. 6, 1951

